Day: February 4, 2024

HCM City: The policy to attract overseas Vietnamese (OV) intellectuals will be more successful when it has open mechanisms, clear regulations, and a favourable working environment for scientists to utilise their creativity, according to an OV professor. This idea was shared by Prof., Dr. Vo Van Toi, currently Assistant to the Board of Directors for the development of science, engineering and technology in health and life, at the International University within the Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City. In 2009, after more than 40 years of living and working in Switzerland and the US, Toi decided to return to Vietnam and establish the subject of biomedical engineering at the International University, with the desire to contribute more to the homeland. At that time, in Vietnam, biomedical engineering was not known to many people, and the development of this subject faced many difficulties. However, the faculty has to date gained a lot of achievements in training and research, thus helping the Vietn amese biomedical engineering sector to become known to the international community. From his story and practical experiences, Toi said that in order to succeed in attracting a contingent of OV intellectuals, it is important to have open mechanisms and clear regulations, and most importantly, the people implementing those policies and mechanisms must be dedicated and talented. When someone achieves success from those open mechanisms, they will be magnets attracting many others to return to the homeland, he stressed. According to the professor, Vietnam's sending of citizens to attend training courses abroad is a good policy. However, it is more important to attract and utilise 'brainpower' from abroad./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Can Tho: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked authorities of Can Tho city to review the list of families who are sick or live in difficult circumstances in order to offer assistance and ensure that all people can celebrate a joyful, healthy, safe and meaningful Lunar New Year Festival, and not to leave anyone without Tet. The PM visited the Mekong Delta city on February 4 and presented Tet (Lunar New Year) gifts to 650 policy beneficiary families, poor people, labourers, homeless old people and children living in disadvantaged circumstances. According to local authorities, by the end of January, the city handed over 73,902 gifts with a total value of over 74 billion VND (over 3 million USD) to workers and poor families. Praising Can Tho for its socio-economic development and well taking care of local people during the Lunar New Year, PM Chinh said the whole political system, including Party committees at all levels and other local authorities, has joined hands to pay attention to Tet care activities, e specially in remote areas, borders and islands, for policy beneficiary families, poor households, workers, homeless elderly people, and children in difficult circumstances throughout the country. Sending New Year wishes to local authorities of Can Tho City, he hoped that the Party Organisation, administration, Fatherland Front Committee, socio-political organisations and Can Tho City's political system will continue to well implement policies and laws of the Party and State, in which economic development is the centre, Party building is the key, and cultural development is the spiritual foundation. Local authorities were asked to consider national defence and security as an important and regular task, as well as to perform better in ensuring social security, improving people's material and psychological well-being. The PM requested the city mobilise response forces to ensure security and safety during the Lunar New Year holiday, while well managing traffic, cracking down on alcohol consumption, gambling an d other social evils. Local authorities were told to provide timely medical examination and treatment for people in sickness. On this occasion, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group awarded 10 billion VND to 200 households in Can Tho city to replace temporary and dilapidated houses. The same day, PM Chinh visited and handed gifts to the families of pre-uprising soldier Le Van Lai (Ba Buong), 105 years old, in Bui Huu Nghia ward, and severely-wounded veteran Lam Thi Muoi, 88 years old, in Binh Thuy ward. Showing deep gratitude to the veterans, the government leader affirmed that the Party, State and people always remember the sacrifices and great contributions of those who took part in the revolution for national liberation, construction and protection./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has recently signed decisions regarding the allocation of more than 1,444 tonnes of rice from the national reserve to five provinces for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) Festival and the between-crop period. Specifically, he assigned the Ministry of Finance to distribute without collecting money 332.37 tonnes of rice to the central province of Quang Ngai, 85.44 tonnes to the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, over 19.9 tonnes to the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, and 351.81 tonnes to the southern province of Tay Ninh as aid to local people on the occasion of Tet. Meanwhile, the northern province of Lang Son will get 236.4 tonnes of rice, An Giang 416.38 tonnes, and Kien Giang 2.28 tonnes for the between-crop period. The People's Committees of the five provinces are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of reporting data as well as providing timely support to eligible recipients in accordance with regulations./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

An Giang: Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai on February 4 visited and gave gifts to 400 policy beneficiaries, poor and near-poor households, and workers living in difficult circumstances in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on the threshold of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival. Extending his new year wishes to local leaders, soldiers and people, Khai highly evaluated the province's socio-economic development achievements, as its 2023 GRDP growth rate ranked 21st in the country and fourth in the Mekong Delta region, the highest in the past 11 years. He requested local Party committees and administrations at all levels, agencies and organisations to organise more activities to ensure people enjoy a joyful, economical, and safe Tet. Due attention must also be paid to ensuring food hygiene and safety, environmental sanitation, and disease prevention and control; strengthening market management; and maintaining price stability, added Khai. On this occasion, the Deputy PM also visited Heroic Mother Bui Thi Hai, and some former senior officials in Long Xuyen city./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Get-togethers have been held recently in France, Russia, Canada, and Italy for overseas Vietnamese to welcome the Lunar New Year of the Dragon. On February 3, the General Union of Vietnamese People in France (UGVF) held the largest-scale Tet (Lunar New Year) gathering at Pavillon Baltard centre, attracting the participation of over 2,000 overseas Vietnamese (OVs). The UGVF organised booths with many culinary specialties and handicrafts, imbued with Vietnamese cultural traditions. Participants were also entertained with art performances and folk games of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Association and the Vietnamese Business Association in Russia jointly held the 'Xuan Que huong' (Homeland Spring) programme. Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi recalled outstanding achievements of the nation as well as Vietnam-Russia relations in the past year, which were partly contributed by the Vietnamese community in Russia. Khoi reiterated the Party and State's consistent policy that the Vietname se community abroad, including OVs in Russia, is an inseparable part and a resource of the Vietnamese ethnic community. On the same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa also organised a Tet gathering for Vietnamese people living, working, and studying in Canada. On February 2 evening, a similar event was also organised in Milan city by the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Can Tho: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and presented gifts to encourage the forces who are on duty during the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. Visiting and delivering his Tet wishes to workers of the Can Tho Urban Joint Stock Company, PM Chinh highly appreciated the spirit of solidarity, hard work, efforts and achievements of more than 450 officials and workers of the company in recent times. He requested the Party Committee and authorities of Can Tho city and the company to seek ways to improve the material and spiritual lives of its employees, especially families with difficult circumstances, and policy beneficiaries. The company is working to ensure environmental sanitation in eight out of nine district-level administrative units of the city. The Government leader also visited and presented Tet gifts to 50 workers who are constructing a 5.16-km Can Tho river embankment. Stressing the importance of the project, he said that the Mekong Delta in general and Can Tho city in particular are among the places in the world most affected by climate change. He asked them to speed up construction to complete the project on schedule and ensure quality and environmental protection. The PM also paid a pre-Tet visit to the city's police and military forces, during which he asked their officers and soldiers to always closely follow and firmly grasp the situation, and not be passive or surprised in any circumstance; and be the core in protecting the Fatherland's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in Japan, Australia, Algeria, Thailand and Laos celebrated Tet (Lunar New Year) Festival at gatherings held in their host countries as the national biggest traditional festival is approaching. The Consulate General of Vietnam in Japan's Osaka city held a Tet get-together for the Vietnamese community and foreigners in Kansai region on February 2. At the event, Vietnamese Consul General Ngo Trinh Ha laid stress on the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam - Japan diplomatic relations in 2023, with more than 500 activities held, helping to improve mutual understanding and tighten the friendship between the two nations. Conveying condolences to the victims of the earthquake that struck Japan on January 1, Ha spoke highly of the support from organisations and individuals for quake-hit people, including the Vietnamese community. He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in the region will promote solidarity, enhance exchanges with local people, and become stronger i n the coming time. On the occasion, more than 250 guests were treated to traditional Vietnamese dishes and art performances staged by Vietnamese people in Kansai region. While in Canberra, Australia, a get-together was organised by the Vietnamese Embassy on February 3. Sending his online Tet greetings to participants, Ambassador Pham Hung Tam highlighted Vietnam's achievements in 2023 amidst gloomy global economic situation, and a milestone in Vietnam - Australia relations as they celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and 5th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership. The Vietnamese Party and State attach much importance to and want to unceasingly consolidate the great national solidary bloc, with OVs being an inseparable part, he said, adding the embassy and Consulates General in Australia have seen the community-related work as their top priority, and hope to bolster solidarity, sharing and mutual support among Vietnamese people towards the development of the community and the natio n as a whole. Tam wished that the Vietnam - Australia relationship will develop in a practical manner and the Vietnamese community in the host nation will be stronger in 2024. Participants at the event had a chance to enjoy Vietnamese Tet favourites and musical performances to welcome a new year of prosperity. The Tet atmosphere was also in the air of Algeria as hundreds of Vietnamese nationals came to the embassy in Algiers to attend the Homeland Spring event on February 3. Ambassador Tran Quoc Khanh said that as the inseparable part of the country, the OVs in Algeria have served as a bridge to connect the two nations, calling on Vietnamese nationals to continue promoting solidarity, joining hands to build the community as well as preserving and popularising the images of the Vietnamese people and culture among foreigners. The OVs expressed their delight and emotion when joining the event, affirming that they always turn the hearts to the homeland. Traditional dishes, and performances of music, traditi onal martial arts and lan (kylin) dance were featured at the festival. A similar event was also arranged for OVs in Khon Kaen city of Thailand by the Vietnamese Consulate General, which drew the participation of leaders from Khon Kaen city, the Consulates General of China and Laos, and many OVs who are living and studying in Thailand's northeastern region. Consul General Chu Duc Dung recalled the Party and State's consistent policy of seeing the OVs important resources of the nation, and hailed the OVs' contributions to the national development through cultural and religious exchange activities over the past time. The Consulate General stands ready to accompany and support the Vietnamese community, helping them promote solidarity and gain more achievements, he added. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese community in Laos organised Tet rituals at Phat Tich pagoda in Vientiane to honour their roots on February 4. On the occasion, the pagoda and benefactors presented 150 gifts, each worth 500,000 LAK (24 USD) to the i mpoverished and those with difficulties circumstances and disabilities in Vientiane, helping them have a warm Tet./. Source: Vietnam News Agency